Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1887-07-02
& 90 ? E R A TITO n .
ENGLISH COOPERATION Sue
CUMBlNG TO FATE.
The Pursuit of Wealth by Private
EcOnOmy-Ineyitable Failure Of
Private CO.operatiOn-EX.
propriate the EXpro.
priatOrS Law.
BY DIR. A DOuAI.

The yearly report of the English
Cooperative Societies Of 1888 stated
the whole number of their members
at more than 600 600, exclusive of
the societies among civil and military
officials which may count Il hundred
thousand members more. The re-
port of this year shows only about
100000. At the same time the
complaint is uttered by Mr.. Hughes
that in the wholesale house which
furnishes those societies with such
merchandise as is needed for coop,
eiators at cheap rate, and in the
best quality, and in the cooperative
cotton and wooden mills, in butcher
les, bakeries, founded with the eapi-
tai of the little stores, wages are paid
at the market rate. In this way
the report complans-the principle
of cooperation cannot be extended
to "a class which needs its assistance
most; competition cannot be crushed.
Cooperative societies which employ
wage-slaves without copartnershlp p in
profit, violate their very life prin-
ciple.
AS to the causes which have, in
two years, diminished the number
of the members by one-half, there is
: no secret. Business is bad in Eng
land The foreign markets of Brit
ish merchandise are dwindling down
by the competition of other nations,
by protective duties in most Europ-
can and American States, and by
the lmpovershment of the nations
through the system of cApltalIstlc
production and distribution. Eng
llsh wage Work kers are, and have been,
during several years, frequently out
OF employment; most of their strikes
were unsuccessful and exhausted
their accumulated capital; wages
were reduced; some trades are at an
utter standstlll-iron shipbuilding,
locksmlthing, silk industry, etc.
Those workers who were, at the
same time, members of cooperative
stores had to draw out their little
share of capital and to spend it for
food, raiment and rent. Having no
longer any shares in the societies
they ceased to be members. Thus
the capital of the societies decreased
considerably and must 60 on decreas-
ing, while their business, being al
ready most economically admins
tered, can hardly be still further
economical. If times do not greatly
lmproye-which is out of the qucs-
ton, all the causes of depression
continuing unabated-a couple of
years more must see all the cooper
ative stores dissolved, or else con-
verted into the private property OF
the few largest shareholders. And
there will be an end to this new
tangled scheme of self-hel p.
Hence those complaints OF MIR.
Hughes and the other advisers of
that scheme that in this way. e.,
by employing wage-slaves-co-oper-
alton cannot become general and
oust competition. That it cannot
might have been foreseen half cen
tury ago. England cannot continue
monopolizing the worlds commerce
and industry, because it oxhausts the
purchasing powers of all its custom
ers, and because her capitalists fur
nish their superhuous capital for
founding all over the world CONNER
cial and industrial enterprises that
must compete with England for the
markets of the world. English
wage workers once thrown upon the
pavement for lack of demand for
English wares, must cease to lay up
savings in societies for mutual assist
ance, must, on the contrary, use up
all their savings, unless they take
their remnant and emigrate.
But this is not the only reason
why cooperation with workingmen's